Today we’d like to introduce you to Alexis Lok.
Hi Alexis, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself
My beginnings in real estate started off as a mere, casual interest. I was introduced to this world at an early age with my father buying homes as we moved from one place to another. Transitioning from one location to another was my childhood norm as we were a military family and we went where duty called. During all these moves, my father had the benefit of using VA home loans and opted to keep each property instead of selling them. The security of always having a place to go to really appealed to me.
During my college years, I picked up jobs with my older sister who was a real estate broker. I did everything from turnover cleans to property management and began to learn the ins and outs of the real estate industry. I quickly earned my own realtor’s license and practiced it much like most entrants into the realm of buying and selling homes. As I moved my way up and learned from peers and veterans alike, the industry itself rang a bit hollow to me. There was a desire to do something different and not just for the sake of being different. Time passed and priorities changed. I had become a mom and the world was being viewed through new lenses. I NEEDED to do something impactful for the world my daughter was growing up in.
I sought out advanced schools of thought on sustainable living, affordable homes, and land development. I promptly earned my GREEN certification and began to seek out real estate opportunities in my new hometown of Orlando. Although I was able to help clients find solutions for residences and commercial investments, the pull towards meaningful and sustainable living was growing stronger. The lack of inventory that met this standard forced me to make an existential decision. I needed to pull back from the industry norms and actively seek out sustainable alternatives. I began to tap my trusted network and sought out like-minded professionals. There, I mapped out where my investors could develop the properties the new generation of homeowners were seeking. Today, I hope to continue developing with forward thinkers and doers in order to create builds featuring smart home technology, solar solutions, net-zero, and several other green initiatives.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
There have been numerous struggles to get to where my business is now. They include the usual bumps: “Where would the next dollar come from?”
“Do I have the bandwidth to take on more clients?”
“What do you mean I am at a loss this year?”
Growing up, I was aware of the different treatments towards people with outward differences. The actual impact became acutely apparent when I was starting my own business for the first time. Overcoming people’s preconceptions based upon appearances is something entrepreneurs are challenged with.
In Miami, my hairstyle included a fabulous mane of silver hair. There, it was well-received by clients and resulted in signed contracts. Upon arriving in Orlando, it was made very clear from the beginning that I was an outsider and was treated as such. To overcome this challenge, I sacrificed my individuality in order to provide for my family. Ironically, the narrow-minded people who initially did not give me an opportunity would not become the audience receptive to innovative and sustainable solutions.
This taught me to never compromise to the lowest denominator and to always elevate one’s thinking.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
The engine that drives me is this endless pursuit for perfection. My compulsive desire to achieve the pinnacle in everything I do is critical to identify opportunities less driven counterparts may overlook. I am notorious for my high energy persistence for contending with off-market, wholesale, and real estate development transactions. I reject the notion that to be successful you have to be an influencer, reveal consumer’s private data, or acquiesce personal services to big tech.
With these values as a foundation, I focus on the human experience. You are not another investor or property seller. You are the person that may have specific needs to ease daily tasks. You are the person in a new domestic partnership looking to combine households. You are the business owner looking to diversify your portfolio. You are human and deserve to have a guided, stress-free experience outside of merely signing the dotted line.
I am most proud of providing true concierge services. Simply getting someone to the closing table is not service; that is basic. I care that my customer not only gets to where they want to go but that the journey is as stress-free as I could possibly make it. Whether I help walk their pet after an inspection, coordinate movers, or hire remote notaries, there is no price for the peace of mind of my customer.
What distinguishes me from other solo agents is that I have learned how to balance statistical analysis with my nuanced understanding of my community. Sustainability can be accomplished in both residential and commercial realms. Studying successful GREEN projects, offering tips to successful retrofitting, and building new construction LEED-certified is a step toward a better tomorrow but also makes for pretty profit as well.
We’re always looking for the lessons that can be learned in any situation, including tragic ones like the Covid-19 crisis. Are there any lessons you’ve learned that you can share?
Open houses should not be your only lead gen lever. Diversify your marketing!
Contact Info:
- Email: info@alexislokorlando.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alexislokorlando/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alexislokorlando
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/alexislokORL
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCb5sw4oKzYsS9xg2_bzOZ-g
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/user_details?userid=ySniNbRWBlKoHHxCSNGDZg
